Chapter Twenty Four

Audra watched as Nick and the other men carried Heath, who had passed out on their way home, up the stairs to the bedroom Victoria had said would be his to use whenever he wanted. In fact, she said, "If I have anything to say about it, he and his children will move out of that small house and in with us." The truth was Victoria had longed to have her grandchildren stay in the main house for quite some time since discovering who they were.

Audra was about to follow them up when Nick barked at her to stay downstairs and just wait for him. "Why do you have to be in San Francisco, Jarrod?" She mumbled to herself, wishing her eldest brother was here. Sitting down on the sofa, Audra let her thoughts wander over the past couple of months. It was hard to believe that Heath had gone from mere employee to brother who she couldn't stand to lose in such a short time. Why had she allowed herself to let the stress of being constantly watched get to her; Heath was wounded now because of it. Only when Nick appeared in the living room did Audra turn her head.

The fact that he could see tears fighting to fall from his sister's eyes tempered Nick's fury at the thought that, somehow, Mr. Stoddard's man had gotten to his sister. He wasn't surprised when Audra looked from him, over to the stairs and then back to him.

"Mother's with him, and Dr. Merar will be here soon; I'm sure of that." Nick said as he sat down beside his sister, laying his hand on top of hers. "Heath will be fine."

"Will he?" Audra fought the fear that said she might lose the brother she was just beginning to know. "I shouldn't have…" she bowed her head slightly as she thought about the choice she'd made when she made a simple assumption that turned out to be so wrong, and the consequences that had followed.

Nick wasn't sure what his sister was going to say, but he pushed her to finish. "You shouldn't have what?" He spoke the question with somewhat of an edge, though it would've been worse had he not been fighting to control himself. Sensing this, gave Audra the courage to confess everything.

"I'm sorry," Audra burst into more tears as she finished telling how she'd slipped out of the house and been captured because of it. "I didn't think I was in any danger." If only she hadn't gone against her brothers' order… if only… two words that had a lot of 'buts'' in them.

Nick, who had stood up and walked over to the fireplace, had to bite his tongue hard before he turned around and faced his sister. While he understood where she was coming from, he also knew the fact that her decision, one that in the end led to Heath being wounded, had to be addressed. "You didn't think?" He snapped as he stepped away from fireplace and placed his hands on his hips. "I thought that was supposed to be my vice?" For a split second, both of them were giving each other extremely small smiles. Then Nick began to give her the lecture she'd feared.

"We told you those men were after you! When it came to nights, you were told we'd be keeping these doors locked, among other precautions. And, Young Lady..."

"Heath put himself in the position he did to save me! He never should have had to do that!" cried Audra as she add, "until the bullet's out and he's fully recovered his children still have a chance of becoming orphans!" She was sick with guilt.

Nick stopped barking, sighed and sat next to his sister once more, not liking the way Audra was beating herself up about all this. He was also sure she had received some rough treatment from her captives, a traumatic experience in itself. Nick took a deep breath and continued, "Yes, in a lot of ways you're right. Things would have been a lot easier if you had just done what you were told, but Heath didn't have to do what he did; the thing is he did… did what any of your brothers would have done." Nick suddenly stopped, taking to heart his own words ...any brother would have done. "Look," he started talking with his voice lowered, "I know you meant no harm. Let's just be glad you're okay, and pray Heath will be fine in time too."

Duly chastised, Audra nodded her head and practically whispered, "I hope so." She then shocked Nick when she looked up at him and asked quietly, "Do you think he'll bring Leah and Bryon back here? Do you think he'll stay?"

"The moment this trouble is over, I'll pack our things and take my children away from this ranch! You will never see your niece again! And, like it or not, she is your niece as I am your father's bastard son!" Nick felt as if someone had hit him below the belt as the scene in the barn, the words Heath had spoken after Leah had been taken back into the home rang again in his ears.

"I don't know." Nick looked as if someone had poked a few holes in him and let the air out. "All we can do is let him know he doesn't have to leave." Would it be enough to get their half brother to stay? Nick didn't know, but it was the only honest answer he could think to give his sister. Only when McCall opened the front door and let Dr. Merar in was Nick distracted.

"He's upstairs." Nick said before McCall or the doctor could say a word. "Mother's with him." He then led the doctor to the room where Heath was lying, leaving Audra with only the silence in the living room to keep her company.

Because there was nothing to interrupt her thoughts, Audra started remembering the picnics, the games and the bed stories that had all come about because of her niece and nephew. The many conversations she'd had with Heath and the way he smiled; each and every memory that had been created over the past couple of months passed by her mind. "Oh Heath," she whispered softly, "Please, be all right and please, don't go." The seconds and minutes that passed by seem to drag on forever and ever. It seemed like an eternity before Victoria and Dr. Merar walked into the living room.

Audra jumped to her feet. "How is he?" she asked, a look of panic upon her face, afraid she'd hear the worst only hoping for the best.

"The bullet is out. As long as an infection doesn't set in, he'll be fine." Dr. Merar answered.

"May I see him?" Audra asked as the good doctor excused himself.

"As long as you don't try to get him to talk, he needs his rest." Dr. Merar said after thinking for a few minutes.

Because Audra feared receiving a lecture from her mother before she had a chance to see Heath, the young woman quickly disappeared up the stairs while Dr. Merar talked with Victoria. He was reminding her he'd be back the next day to check on the young man he now knew to be Tom's son; Victoria had confessed it to him before he'd started operating on Heath. She'd begged him to save him if he could.

Audra made her way to the room where Heath lay unconscious. Sitting down on a chair that she'd pulled away from the wall and over to the side of the bed, Audra picked up Heath's motionless hand and ran her fingers over it. "Oh, Heath," she held his hand up to her chin, "Please, be okay. Please, give this family a chance." She bowed her head and let her tears fall once more.

From where Nick stood in the hallway, he was thinking the same thing...even if his tears could only be seen in the faraway look in his eyes.